still have their lives ... a
Pittsylvania County family is finding a
silver lining after an explosion
levelled their house last night.
ENG#=2 VO-NAT
VO-NAT

*CG locator Pittsylvania Co.

The blast happened at 14 69 East
Witt Road.. but even neighbors half a
mile away felt it.

Homeowner Marvin Sigmon's wife and

son had just returned home around 6
last night to find what was left of
their house on fire.
ENG#=3 SOT FULL
SOT FULL

INQ=Counting my

*CG 2line Lisa James
Sister of Homeowner 14:21:29 LISA JONES/SISTER OF
HOMEOWNER: COUNTING MY BLESSINGS A LOT.
WE DON'T HAVE A FUNERAL TO ATTEND AND
THANK GOD FOR THAT. LIKE MY BROTHER
SAID HE CAN REBUILD THIS HOUSE AND HE
CAN PUT ALL THIS BACK TOGETHER, BUT
WITH RYAN HIS SON AND HIS WIFE LYNN,
THEY'RE IRREPLACEABLE.
RUNS=14 (END SOT)

OQ=they're irreplaceable.

VO-NAT VO-NAT

Investigators are looking into
whether a gas leak might be the cause
of the explosion.

As many times as we've told this
story over the last 20 years, we've
learned some things in the course of
researching our review of this event.
DISSOLVE TO APRISA DISSOLVE TO APRISA
FLOOD ANIMATION Here then one of the most
indelible images of the Flood of '85
and how it all unfolded.
WIPE TO SOT WIPE TO SOT

But it doesn't take much to take
him back to that day in November, 1985.
SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ= I KNOW IT'S THE GRACE OF GOD THAT GOT

US OUT OF THERE. I KNOW THAT BETTER

THAN I KNOW YOU'RE SETTING THERE.
RUN07 (END SOT)

OQ= We got together at Thomas's south

Roanoke home recently to reminisce.

At the time, we reported that his
market had been swept away 90 seconds
after the second flight lifted away
from the roof.
SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ= AWE, HELL, IT WASN'T NO MAYBE TEN,

POSSIBLY 15 SECONDS.
RUN04 (END SOT)

OQ= Roanoke Police Officer Jay

Michael witnessed it all from a vantage
point directly across the street.

Isolated by raging flood water himself,
all he could do was watch... as
Delegate Thomas, his son and five
others struggled to get out and on top
of the building.
SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ= ...MADE THEIR WAY UP THERE BY CLIMBING

UP ON SOFT DRINK MACHINES, AND GOT UP
ONTO THE ROOF. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE
FORCE OF THE WATER AND THE DEBRIS
AGAINST THE GLASS PUSHED THE GLASS OUT
OF THE STORE. THE STORE WAS FILLED
WITH WATER. THE EAST END OF THE
BUILDING WASHED AWAY.

RUN19 (END SOT)

OQ= Officer Michael may have been the

only person who realized at the time
just how urgent the situation was
becoming.

Thomas and others credit him with
impressing upon the city dispatch
center that there was no time to loose,
even amid countless other cries for
help.

So, how did he manage that?
SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ= I'M NOT EVEN QUITE SURE. MAYBE IT WAS

THE TONE OF MY VOICE. BUT I WAS
ATTEMPTING TO EMPHASIZE THAT IF WE
DIDN'T GET SOMEBODY IN HERE WITHIN A
MATTER OF MINUTES, THAT THESE PEOPLE
WERE GOING TO BE WASHED AWAY.
RUN13 (END SOT)

OQ= LifeGuard-10 reported it was tied

up with rescuing people in Salem.

So a private helicopter was
pressed into service.

W-D-B-J had assigned photographer
Mark Layman to tape aerial images of
the flood.
SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ= IT WAS A LITTLE HAIRY, BECAUSE THEY

WERE STEPPING ON THE SKID AS THEY GOT

IN.
RUNS=:04

(- - BUTT - -)

17:05

BECAUSE HE NEVER TOUCHED THE ROOF. SO
HE WAS WITHIN HALF A FOOT, SIX INCHES
OF A PITCHED ROOF.
RUNS=:07

RUN11 (END SOT)

OQ= They made one trip in, loaded up

three people, took them to safety and
came back for the second group that
included the Delegate and his son,
Eric.
SOT FULL SOT FULL

INQ= IF THEY'D HAVE BEEN A MINUTE LATER,

THEY STILL MIGHT HAVE GOTTEN THE FIRST
LOAD, BUT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE GOT US.
RUN06 (END SOT)

You can't put a price tag on what
the publicity is worth to the
university or the football program, but
it's safe to say the dollar signs would
be significantly less without the name
VICK in the mix.
ENG#=1 SOT FULL
SOT FULL

INQ=

*CG file This Season
:15

*CG 2line Locke White
VT Director of Licensing
:51

RUNS=1:50 (END SOT)

OQ=...REALLY FANTASTIC << This week's edition of Sports
(END SOT) Illustrated features a four page

article on the Hokies complete with a

full page picture of Marcus Vick with
the accompanying headline - Like Mike -
Maybe Better.

As a passer is appears that the
so called experts may have a point.

As a runner and scrambler -
Marcus isn't there yet.

And as a pitch man - he'll have
to wait until he turns Pro to get in
Michael's league.

Last year with the help of Vick's
image and name on product lines like
the Legends of Lane more than $27
million dollars worth of Tech stuff was
sold with the University raking in over
a million in royalties.

The hottest thing for the young
demographic which includes potential
recruits is this limited edition Zoom
Vick Three show from Nike.

BITE OF LOCKE

The limited edition shoe was
unveiled at Underground Atlanta last
month and sold out in one day.

For bookkeeping purposes Tech
isn't making a penny of the use of its
logo this time - but don't think for a
minute it isn't cashing in on the shoe.

Hokie Football fans have a new
way to celebrate a mark in the win
column.
JEAN ON VO JEAN ON VO
ENG#=1 VO-NAT
VO-NAT

*CG locator Blacksburg

Victory magnets are flying off
the shelves in Blacksburg.

The magnets were designed by Col.
Rock Roszak, a retired U.S Air Force
officer who directs the Virginia Tech

Corp of Cadets alumni programs.

He modeled them after kill marks,
which are used by airforce pilots to
symbolize shot down enemy aircraft.

He hopes to soon add one more
magnet to his car.
ENG#=2 SOT FULL
SOT FULL

INQ=Oh i do.

*CG 2line Col. Rock Roszak
VT Corp of Cadets COL. ROCK ROSZAK: 15:09:00 OH I DO. I
DO :11 I CAN ALREADY IMAGINE WHAT IT
COULD LOOK LIKE SATURDAY NIGHT. I
DON'T WANT TO JINX ANYTHING BUT I'VE
GOT A MIAMI MAGNET READY TO GO ON AND
I'M HOPING I'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT
AFTER THE GAME SATURDAY NIGHT. :22
RUNS=:13 (END SOT)